University of Memphis preparing for final regular-season meeting with Tennessee

December 30, 2012 — Memphis head coach Josh Pastner works the officials during first half action against Loyola at The FedExForum. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

University of Memphis senior forward D. J. Stephens is familiar with the song, but the words? Not so much.

"I'll never remember that song," said Stephens, who clearly has no intention of learning the words to the Tennessee Volunteers' unofficial anthem, "Rocky Top."

Pastner told the players this week they would hear the song repeatedly Friday in Knoxville when the Tigers (9-3) play their first true road game of the season against the Vols (8-3) at Thompson-Boling Arena.

So in preparing them for what's sure to be a raucous environment, Pastner played "Rocky Top" over the Finch Center loudspeakers for about 45 minutes during the last two days of practice, blasting it over and over into his players' eardrums.

"I want the guys to understand we've been in our confines of the FedExForum, which is a special place," Pastner said. "I want them to understand this is a totally different environment, and that's the best I could think of to try to simulate (Friday's) road game."

Said sophomore Adonis Thomas: "We gotta get used to it. Coach said they're going to play it nonstop, and I believe him. Even with my recruitment, at the football games, they played 'Rocky Top' over and over. So it's going to be something we gotta get used to. Their fans are going to be excited and pumped up."

This will be the last time in the foreseeable future the Tigers have to hear the song in the regular-season with the series between the two schools ending Friday.

For the umpteenth time since he was hired as head coach in 2009, Pastner reiterated his stance Wednesday that he sees no benefit in playing the Vols on a yearly basis. Yes, the Tigers and Vols will have played each other for the eighth straight season Friday and, yes, the rivalry has been a heated one.

But the two schools have played a grand total of 24 times. Similarly, Memphis and Arkansas, another once-heated regional rivalry throughout the 1990s, have played 21 times.

Memphis and Louisville — the team Pastner does plan to keep on the Tigers' nonconference schedule after the Cardinals leave the Big East in 2014 for the ACC — have played 87 times, the second-longest series in program history (the longest is Southern Miss at 88).

"The rival game for us is Louisville. Since I've been here, the one thing I understand from Tiger Nation is it's the game they want to see on the schedule every single year," Pastner said. "Now, I know some media people are Tennessee fans. They disguise themselves as Memphis fans, but they're really Tennessee fans, and they want to see Memphis-Tennessee.

"Can we play (Louisville and Tennessee)? We can, but we're not. (Athletic director) Tom Bowen (and I), we both see eye to eye on this. Just like the Xavier series. When we're done with them (this year), it's over. We move on. The Tennessee series — move on. It's nothing disrespectful to Tennessee."

Asked if "Rocky Top" might be growing on him, having heard it so much the last two days of practice, Pastner said, "Nah. I mean, again, I have respect for all music."

After sitting out practice Tuesday with a groin injury, junior forward Tarik Black was a partial participant Wednesday. Pastner, however, said Black remains doubtful for Friday's game.